Chapter 4

I checked the time. Luckily, it seemed I wouldn’t be late for my part-time job. If I had been a bit more pressed for time, I might have ended up taking a taxi. But taking the bus was enough to get me to the café on time. From now on, I planned to walk instead of taking the bus.

Saving bus fare bit by bit added up to a significant amount. Just the round-trip bus fare alone was almost 3,000 won. If I worked five weekdays a month, excluding weekends, that added up to 60,000 won a month.

With 60,000 won, I could buy three delicious chickens for Ha-yeon. Whether I walked or took the bus, it was all the same. If it got too tough, I thought about buying a bicycle later. I could get a decent used bike for around 50,000 to 60,000 won.

Or I could just take one of those free bikes people give away. As long as the wheels turned, it was fine for commuting. I didn’t need anything fancy. The design or how lightweight it was didn’t matter to me.

Anyway, I got off the bus and arrived at the café. The café was a decent-sized shop. It was just the right size for 3-4 people to work in. The café was always a popular spot.

In fact, landlords were always eager to rent to cafés. I even heard that having a café in a building could increase its value.

I opened the door and entered the café. Even though it wasn’t open for business yet, the door was unlocked. They were preparing to open. I was confident because I had a lot of experience working at cafés. If it were any other part-time job, I might have struggled due to my lack of skills, but with the café, I could do it with my eyes closed after years of experience.

The menu names were all pretty similar too.

“Hello.”

I bowed my head slightly to greet them. My long hair, which had grown out, blocked my vision. I thought about cutting it, but Ha-yeon strongly opposed it. She said she didn’t want me to cut my hair.

The boss, who seemed to recognize me, waved and greeted me warmly.

“Welcome, Ha-yul.”

Interestingly, the café boss was a woman in her mid-to-late 30s. And the other part-timers were also women. Of course, it made sense since there weren’t many male part-timers in cafés. Men didn’t usually take café jobs, and they weren’t often hired either.

Even when I was a guy, I barely managed to get a café job. Given the nature of the job, which involved interacting with many people, women were often preferred.

So, I went into the staff changing room and changed my clothes. Since I already knew most of the café work, I didn’t need any special training.

I couldn’t wait for time to pass so Ha-yeon’s school would be over.

—

Two weeks had passed.

My daily routine had somewhat stabilized.

In the morning, I woke up Ha-yeon and got her ready for kindergarten. Ha-yeon had started following my instructions well. I could wash her without any trouble. Though she seemed capable of washing herself…

I thought I should teach her to wash herself by next year or the year after. She couldn’t keep relying on my help forever.

After washing her, I changed her clothes and got ready to take her to kindergarten. We walked to the kindergarten, and I handed her over to the teacher.

“Hello, Ha-yeon’s mom.”

“Please take good care of Ha-yeon today.”

“Don’t worry.”

Last time, the teacher told me that Ha-yeon was adjusting well to kindergarten life. I knew Ha-yeon would do well. She was also getting along with her friends, which eased my worries. I had been concerned about whether she’d fit in with her peers.

“Mom, will you come back soon?”

“Of course, Ha-yeon. I’ll rush over as soon as my café shift ends!”

After making that promise with Ha-yeon, I left the kindergarten and hurried to the café. It had been two weeks since I started working there. I made a few small mistakes, but thankfully, the other staff helped me through it. The boss was kind, and the other employees were friendly too. I felt lucky to be working there. I didn’t know if other cafés were like this.

I entered the café and went to the staff changing room. I had to change into the café uniform. As I was hurriedly taking off my clothes, someone appeared behind me.

“Ha~yul~”

“Eek!”

I couldn’t help but tremble as someone’s hands touched my chest. I turned around to see one of my co-workers, Chae So-young, who really liked my chest. She had her own chest, so I didn’t understand why she was so obsessed with mine.

“Ha-yul, you’re the best. Such a solid bust!”

“You’re too much, unnie…”

I subtly distanced myself from Chae So-young. She was someone who needed to practice social distancing. If she had been born a man, she’d probably be in jail by now. Or maybe she wouldn’t be touching women’s chests if she were a man.

“Ha-yul, you’re so mean! Have you forgotten how much I’ve helped you?”

“That’s not it…”

Chae So-young was the one who covered for me when I made mistakes at the café. When I dealt with a difficult customer last time, she went all out to help me. I didn’t understand why she did so much for someone like me. It wasn’t like she gained anything from helping another woman.

Of course, I was grateful for her kindness. It was hard to find people who’d help you like that in a part-time job. We often cheered each other on to overcome challenges.

“Ha-yul, you’re blessed~ With such an amazing body and only 20 years old~ The guys must love you, huh?”

She could say that because she didn’t know I was an unmarried mother. I wanted to show off Ha-yeon to people, but there was no reason for me to bring it up first. Or maybe I would soon?

I knew I couldn’t keep it a secret forever. Though I didn’t think people would care much about whether I had a child or not. Ha-yeon had once asked where I worked. I told her it was a secret, but she kept pestering me until I finally told her. She threw a tantrum, saying she wouldn’t sleep if I didn’t tell her.

—

Kim Min-seok.

A college student this year, he walked into a café one day and met his fate. In simple terms, he fell in love at first sight with one of the employees. Of course, he didn’t know if she felt the same way, but to Kim Min-seok, it didn’t matter.

She had long black hair, a sharp nose, and features that even celebrities would envy. To top it off, her figure was stunning even in the café uniform. Kim Min-seok couldn’t understand why such a gem was working at a café.

She could’ve been a model in a magazine. But that only worked in his favor. It gave him the chance to meet her and confess his feelings.

It was worth a shot, right? Sure, she looked as young as a high school student, but she had to be an adult to work at a café like this.

So, he waited for the crowd to thin out. He didn’t want to confess in front of too many people and risk ending up in a YouTube video. He wanted to keep it short and sweet.

“Order for customer number 10~ Your Americano is ready.”

Kim Min-seok stood up when he saw the girl he liked calling out his order. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and spoke.

“Um… excuse me.”

“Yes?”

The employee stopped and looked at him.

“Can I… get your phone number? I fell for you at first sight.”

Kim Min-seok handed her his phone. But the girl gave him an awkward smile and replied.

“I… have a daughter.”

“Huh?”

Kim Min-seok was stunned. He had never been rejected like this before. She looked like a high schooler, but she had a daughter? Was she telling him to back off?

Just as he was about to say something, a little girl walked into the café.